Wednesday 28th November 2012

At last a break in the rain. Occasional cloud, a strong northerly wind and it was COLD.

The runway is still very wet so it was to decided to let it dry out and fly at the weekend when things will have firmed up considerably.

Better looking weather as the runway starts to dry out
There was only a few members here today but there were unconfirmed reports that were several members away doing their cross country endorsements in a motorglider. I will try to get a report about that.

A what did we do? Well apart from getting the log burner going, sitting around drinking tea and putting the world to rights, nothing much really. Subjects for debate ranged widely from schemes to improve the airfield to curing the world economic crisis.

Dartmoor Gliding Debating Society
As always David Bourchier put us to shame by keeping himself busy with an eclectic collection of odd jobs in and around the hangar.

David - busy as usual.
I am really looking forward to flying at the weekend.

Steve

Sunday 25th November 2012

The heaviest rain we have seen for a very long time. Dave Parker said he saw some blue sky, but nobody believes him.

Breakfast was croissant and real coffee. Croissants by Chris and Karon and coffee by Roger. Very civilised.

Chris and Karon then did a masterful job trying to aerotow on the simulator before setting off on their mountain flying cross countries.

Marta popped in with a new member "Chris", declaring that she is steadily building the Polish contingent in readiness for a take-over. Chris is a radio/electronics engineer (that's right--he knows absolutely nothing about pharmacy). Chris has been solo 5 times before, but a few years ago now.

Library photo of Polish "fifth columnist" Marta taken on a much sunnier day
The wood pile is now a splendid heap, thanks to several volunteers.

After lunch we had a short impromptu brief on hill soaring and then we went home, through the flooded lanes.

Don

Saturday 24th November 2012

From early morning it was raining, the forecast was for the rain to increase, the news was full of flood warnings. Here we go again too wet to fly.

I arrived a little later at the airfield than normal to find that Rick Wiles and Ged Nevisky were already deeply entrenched in the removal of the Guslaunch winch engine. Ged had collected the replacement engine using a large lorry fitted with a hiab crane and the idea was to to remove the old engine while they had the crane available.

Rick and Ged stripping out the winch engine in the rain.
This work continued throughout the day during which they were joined by Dave Bourchier and Martin Smith and kept well supplied with tea by Vic. Is Vic the most experienced tea boy in the country? By the end of the day, both engines were in place in the hanger, the clutch had been removed from the “new engine” ready to be replaced by the fluid flywheel which has been removed from the “old” engine. Great work chaps.

Victor, the country's most experienced tea boy.
Meanwhile CFI Don was preparing his course materials for the evening lecture entitled “A appreciation of cloud flying”. An what did I do? I hear you ask. Well I got the best job really flying the various cloud flying exercises in the simulator and setting it up for the evening demonstrations.

The day finished with the “Cloud Flying” lecture and demonstrations being delivered by Don to a very attentive group of 10 pilots after they were all fed by Pauline with what can only be described as “Gourmet” burgers.

Steve

The 3rd instalment of The Glider Show podcast entitled “Two Steps Forward, One Step Back” has now published. To check it out click this link.   The Glider Show

Wednesday 21 November 2012

As I left home for the airfield apart from the damp ground everything seemed ok; 2/8th cloud cover, gentle wind. Looks good for some flying.

Listening to the traffic announcements on the radio revealed that my view of the weather situation was entirely wrong. Lots of roads were closed due to flooding. The main railway at Tiverton closed due to flooding. Must have rained much heavier overnight that I realised. Oh Dear.

On arrival at the airfield it was immediately apparent that it would be far too wet to fly.

The members went into make and mend mode, getting on with some of the myriad of outstanding tasks. The Zugvogel trimmer system was dismantled, adjusted reassembled and the aircraft returned to service. The Bocian instrument panel layout was changed to make the airspeed indicator more visible for the instructor in the rear seat.

From the left, Steve Raine, John Bolt and Ged Nevisky sort out the Bocian's instrument panel.
 I found it interesting that one group waited until it had started to rain before starting to wash the vehicles!! And we still trust these people to gliders?

Is car washing and rainbows seen in many photos?
In the clubhouse the simulator was put into good use with several pilots practicing various aspects of their skills.

Thanks everyone for a nice day with friends.

Steve

Sunday 18th November 2012

A cold bright start gave the promise of a good training day. Although it still took some while before the sun warmed the canopies enough to dry off the condensation.

It was good to see Marta back after a prolonged lay-off of many months: her first flight reintroducing her to the delights of a cable-break.

Training flights proceeded with the three club members on the 'club one day course' (Three? How did that happen?). Martin Cropper flew with the long list of others including a couple of trial lesson flights. Sarah Reed had a site check flight in the Bocian and then flew the Zugvogel: two more rather less common aircraft types for her log book.
Nigel Williamson playfully modelling carrier bags as shoe liners to keep his feet dry.
Sarah is modelling the Zugvogel in the background.

Sadly not enough time for every one to fly.

Thanks to all who helped.

David Jesty




Saturday 17th November 2012

Low(ish) cloudbase wind light NW and a forecast gap in the rain promised a training type flying day. The airfield is extremely wet following a week that seems to have an lot of showers over Dartmoor so we only got out K7M-GDBVB and Bocian G-DCKN.

After a familiarisation flight with Duty Instructor Ged Nevisky in the Bocian, Air Experience instructor Mike Sloggett set about delivering his usual high quality instruction to Andy Porter, today’s One Day Course candidate, only breaking off for a quick cup of coffee at lunchtime and to fly with an air experience visitor. By the end of the day Mike had been won over by the charms of the Bocian and has definitely joined it’s growing fan base. Thanks for your help once again Mike.

Mike Sloggett (left) and One day Course candidate Andy Porter returning the Bocian to the hanger at the end of the day

Elsewhere on the airfield Will Wilson received refresher training on the ML winch from me and then went on to drive the winch for several hours before coming to the launch point to fly and maintain his currency, after which he went to the clubhouse to tidy up and hoover the messy carpet. Well done Will.

Incidentally, last Saturday I reported that Darren Wills had retaken his bronze exam. I was mistaken it was Will Wilson who had taken and passed his bronze exam ( after his first pass had lapsed ). Well done and sorry for the error.

A quiet day.

Steve

Reflections on a first flight

.‘I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe……’ reflected Rutger Hauer playing a dying replicant in Ridley  Scott’s iconic film ‘Bladerunner’, and that is how I felt the other Sunday evening, musing over the events of a quite remarkable afternoon; no, I hadn’t seen Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion, or watched c-beans glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate, but I HAD played tag with a soaring buzzard, tickled a cloud with a wing tip just because I could, and all the while being  shadowed for much of the afternoon by my own reflection  haloed in a circle of rainbow, the hauntingly beautiful Brocken Spectre. And the ghostly image keeping me company was of a 50 year old glider, a K6cr.

Before July of last year I would not have known what a glider was; I suspected they were used by both sides during the last war for sneaky attacks on the enemy, seldom reaching their destination, normally crashing instead, killing all occupants. A flight experience day, given as a birthday present, with the possibility of  a follow-up ‘Fixed Price to Solo’ scheme, showed me that there really were still seemingly sane people out there prepared to defy the laws of nature and attempt flight without an engine.

Fixed Price to Solo schemes are great; a financial commitment when self confidence and self esteem are at an all-time low, when the demons within are mocking you for being an uncoordinated idiot incapable of learning a new skill…“give up, give up, stick to something you know, something you can do“………How difficult can it be to balance Stick and Rudder? The target was Solo by the end of the year, and within the scheduled 80 launches; In reality it took until March and over 100 launches,  and the first solo flight was on a day when [and I’ve never told the CFI this] I had only turned up to pay my dues to DGS, having decided to join a club nearer to home-if solo was going to take forever, I may as well cut down on traveling time!

Looking back, those early learning months were great fun, full of frustration and self criticism, but providing some memories that will be unforgettable; touching cloud base for the first time, circling in the same thermal as a buzzard, watching the lights come on in Tavistock as evening draws in……….I had no idea where the gliding experience was going, but I had a few targets along the way, destinations on an unknown journey, with the option of stepping away from gliding after each one without any regrets for the commitment of time and money; Solo, Bronze, Bronze XC, purchase maybe of a glider.

 As it turned out, I bought a glider much sooner than anticipated, having seen a K6 advertised at Shennington Gliding Club whilst enjoying an offbeat few days gliding with some other DGS members. With the invaluable help of Colin Boyd, the K6 was collected from Talgarth, full asking price paid, and brought back to Dartmoor.
Roger and the "new" glider
If the wait to get to Solo had seemed unduly long, the wait to get my own glider into the air was interminable. Pride of ownership was immense, and she sat in the showroom having her makeup redone, she sat on a nearby airfield waiting for the thumbs-up from the local CFI, she sat in her trailer at Brentor waiting for the rain to stop, and finally on Sunday 21st October, with wave developing on the east of the field, the K6, by now named by my wife ’Brangwy’, was once again rigged, test flown by Don, and cleared for me to take her on our maiden flight.


I have been told you never forget your first solo flight, and I probably won’t, but it was functional rather than memorable; Launch, Circuit, Land, Don’t Break Anything; prove to yourself and the CFI this wasn’t all a ghastly mistake. On an early solo flight in one of the club’s 2 K13s I had been fortunate enough to connect with wave, and, totally oblivious to the passage of time, clocked a 2 ½ hour flight, much to the angst of the duty instructor waiting below with trial lessons. Since then I had managed a couple flights just short of an hour; for me, mind-boggling stuff that kept me buzzing from one Sunday to the next. This launch felt very different, though; the culmination of everything that had gone before, at the same time seeming the first ever solo. I would have accepted a 3 minute flight if the glider came back in one piece, been satisfied with 5 minutes, and happy with 15.

Don’s last words of advice before the ’ALL OUT’ were brief and to the point; ’Fly straight to the easterly edge of the cloud, and soar the cloud as you would a ridge’

K6 on the wire.
The launch was OK, but I’ve managed better; the cable back-released at the top of the launch, pulling back too long for height; a momentary intake of breath while the attitude stabilized, and then I was through the cloud. What had looked from the field to be a grey shapeless cloud mass was in fact the trailing edge of a cliff face; a white, gently foaming wall of cloud stretching south east of Tavistock and beyond. Someone had pinched the cliffs from Dorset’s Jurassic coast, painted them white, and they were now hovering like a curtain over Dartmoor. Banking south, I followed the ’cliff face’, pushing as far as was prudent, then turning away from the face, tracking back the other way; zigzagging back and forth, from Mary Tavy to Tavistock and back, climbing the cloud wall as you would any other cliff face; sometimes hot spots of lift, sometimes sink, but always, gradually, gaining height.

I’m beginning to discover that a glider cockpit, like the inside of a motorcycle crash helmet, is a solitary, but never lonely, place to be; and somewhere I could easily spend a lot of time without getting bored. Small challenges present themselves all the time: ‘2000ft, I wonder if I could make 2500.……….lets follow that buzzard, he looks to be cloud-hill soaring, I didn’t know they did that!…………..3000 already, if I could make 3500, I’ll chase 4000 before I look for the field, but then again that looks like the highest wisp, I reckon I can dip a wing in there!’

At 3500ft, we were level with the top of the cloud, at 4000ft we were above, and I was looking down on fluffy white cloud baguettes for as far as the eye could see; the airfield had been out of sight for some time, obscured by cloud, as was Tavistock and Mary Tavy, but moorland was clearly visible to the east and north, and the estuary could be just made out in the south, so keeping within gliding distance of the field wasn’t an issue. I remembered there was a small camera in an inside pocket, and almost went into a stall getting it out, but the K6 remained serenely unruffled by the incompetent pilot. There was little lift above 4000ft that I could find, and we tracked back and forth between 3 and 4 thousand, with the Brocken Spectre  for occasional company. Other gliders would sometimes appear, stay for a while, and then go on their way; Colin in his K6, Martin swooping around in his fiberglass “sports car with wings“, the inevitable club K13; familiar faces drifting in an out of someone else’s dream. I used to hate sharing the sky with other gliders, in case I couldn’t see them, couldn’t avoid colliding with them; now it is becoming one of the pleasures of gliding!

And as quickly as I had been launched into, and found, wave, it started to break up.

Trawling the cliff face became sniffing and scratching for lift; a more experienced pilot would have found it more consistently, and a more confident pilot would have followed the reforming wave cloud north, but that would have meant risking pushing downwind, and I am still at the stage where I need to ensure that the number of landings at Brentor equals the number of launches. With the cloud now broken, the field was once again visible, and  with more sink than lift, it was time to think about a circuit while still stretching the flight for as long as I could………………..count the gliders on the ground, look for potential launches/landings, where are the retrieve vehicles, what’s the wind doing, above all, look out look out look out; I didn’t want this to end, but if it had to, it mustn’t be in disaster!

Good looking round out after a great first flight
Left circuit, bit cramped, cross wind landing, kicked straight at about the right time, landing fairly soft, canopy off, and then the warm congratulatory handshake from the ever supportive Colin Boyd; nice gesture to cap a magical flight.

The K6cr sits quietly waiting to be put away at the end of the day.
Wood, fabric, and glue, a technology the Egyptians had; that was all that had kept me rubbing shoulders with the clouds for almost 3 hours. The rationality of the Greeks, the practicality of the Romans, the mathematical genius of the medieval Islamic scholars, the scientific knowledge of Leonardo Da Vinci, all great societies had managed to use the ocean currants but had failed to master flight, yet they had the means, and certainly the dream……….Only in the last 100 years or so have we understood enough to soar the skies; the ancients would have been green with envy. 60 million people in this country, yet only a few thousand choose to soar with the birds!

For me, that last flight would make a fitting last page in the book, and I could walk away happy with my 15 months dabbling with flight, but there is a glider waiting for me at Brentor, and a cloud or two to be tickled, so it’s probably just the start of a new chapter: Bronze, Bronze Cross Country Endorsement, and THEN have a rethink.

Roger Applebloom

Wednesday 14th November 2012

With the wind having swung round to the south east (as forecast) and bright sunshine, the usual team of Wednesday enthusiasts got everything out and ready to go early, the only delaying factors being a need to change of ends and to wash the club gliders (encrusted in mud after last weekend's adventures). Also, a knackered 'spoon' on the Bocian's tail-skid had to be repaired and refitted. The latter was competently executed by Tony Pugh (newish member... ex-Vulcan and BA pilot) and Ged Nevisky, so that Steve Lewis could get airborne with one-day course trainee Anthony Cottle with minimum delay.

Ged Nevisky and Tony Pugh enjoying the sunshine after repairing the Bocian tail skid.
My first launch in the K7/13 with Dave Bourchier indicated hints of wave - although all we got were the 'sinky bits', resulting in a well-executed shortened circuit and landing. Steve Raine (K8) followed by our resident 'Astirisks', Andrew and Phil, also gave it ago - but otherwise all remained pretty quiet and routine at the launch point. Then, around late-morning, the world seemed to wake up to the fact that there might be wave in the offing, and several more members started arriving to get their names on the list or to put their wings on.

Dave Jesty helped Bob and Steve with the instruction task.
During mid-afternoon the hoped-for wave did, indeed, arrive with Phil (Astir) and Steve and Anthony (Bocian) climbing to above 2000ft, and Phil achieving the day's longest flight of 1hr.17 mins. With everyone convinced (at last) that things really were happening, the launch point was suddenly crowded with club and privately-owned gliders (including the Zugvogel, which these days seems to spend most of its time boxed-in at the back of the hangar).

Barry in the Zugvogel worked hard all day but didn't actually get to fly in the end.
But it was all too late, because the wave subsided and (sod's law!), having delivered a smooth performance for most of the day, our 'winchers' were suddenly plagued with launch failures. A special thank you here to winch drivers Dave Rippon, Mike Gadd, Steve Raine and Heather (in the cable retrieve vehicle) for all their efforts.

Sadly, several pilots 'missed the boat' due to a combination of their late start, winching delays and reducing visibility caused by a lowering sun. After consultation with Dave Jesty , who was helping out with trial lessons, I called a halt to flying. Our apologies to the two visitors whose trial lessons were cancelled, and we thank you for being so understanding.

The last flight of the day was by Trevor in the Jantar - just as wave was showing signs of reforming. But sadly the cable broke and he joined the long queue to get the gliders washed and packed away.

Finally, good luck to Messrs Rippon, Gadd and Raine who next week make a pilgrimage to Shennington to undertake cross country endorsement flights in a motor glider with our CFI, Don Puttock.

Bob Pirie

Sunday 11th November 2012

Winds 340/10 with little cloud to start.  A very good training day. Remembrance day and the first day of the club one day course experiment.

Thanks to the Saturday evening efforts of Steve Lewis, Chris Matten and David Bourchier, the K7M only needed the tailplane refitting after a tail skid replacement. Many thanks to everyone involved.

Thanks also to Nigel Williamson who not only brought the Hobnobs but agreed to drive the winch so our course could go ahead. Barry Green and Heather, and several others pitched in to make the day a success. Now that’s what I call teamwork.

At  8.15 am a  grinning Leith Whittington arrived in time for coffee with a tray of eggs!  So a team coffee before unpacking the hangar.

At 8.30 the hangar unpacking started at the field set up began. Roger Appleboom ( course member 1) completed his bronze GFT, and practised  some new flying skills with a total of 9 training flights.

Roger and Don
Keith Whittington (course member 2) de-rusted after a 2 month lay off and moved significantly closer to solo, with a total of  10 training lights on the day.

Don and Leith
A short delay allowed us to devour the scrambled egg and ham sandwiches, thanks Roger.

In addition the club K8 was flown by several club members, Alan Holland (as usual) demonstrating it was a little soarable---if you worked at it.

The two seater managed to squeeze in a couple more general  training flights before the standard landing at sunset.
The Bocian launches at sunset.
A good fun day for everyone.

Don

Saturday 10th November 2012

The cold front moved away overnight leaving the airfield very wet but in surprisingly gentle weather. It would be flyable if we took care.

The flying started in calm air which gradually became a westerly breeze as the day went on. The flying programme was interrupted several times as showers passed through the area.

Some of our scouting visitors familiarising themselves with the Bocian
 We entertained scouts from the 6th Plympton troop who were here for a gliding course culminating in the issuing of their gliding badges. We used the Bocian to give them their air experience flights which they all enjoyed. They were surprisingly adept at handling the controls when given the opportunity.

Another scouting flight takes off. 
Rick Wiles took the opportunity to fly a couple of friends to exercise his friends and family rating. Mike Jardine and Chris Kaminski continued to acquaint themselves with the Bocian, a glider that is rapidly getting it’s own fan club.
Rick ( centre) and his friends share a moment before flying.
While the flying fun was going on, solo pilot Darren Wills Will Wilson was slaving away in the clubhouse on the Bronze Exam paper which he passed with style.

As the sun went down the gliders were washed and put away as 8 or 9 pilots gathered in the clubhouse for Don;s evening lecture aimed at pilots preparing to fly the navigation and field landing tests for their Cross Country Endorsements.

Steve

Wednesday 7th November 2012

At last, an autumn Wednesday with no rain, a light wind straight down the runway, a cloudbase way above launch height and a relatively balmy temperature on the ground. No matter that the wind wasn't a wave-inducing easterly, and that there was little prospect of thermals; the most important thing was that it showed all the signs of being a decent flying day, whether for training, for keeping current, or simply the for joy of getting up in a glider.

From the moment one turned down the lane from the main road things started to look encouraging - and then got better and better. Firstly, there was blue smoke rising above the trees, indicating that the woodburner was doing its job. In and around the clubhouse and hangar a group of enthusiasts were preparing the gliders and equipment, and once inside the clubhouse, Heather and her assistant Dave Bourchier were doing a great job sprucing up the place with brooms and dusters.
Our new neighbours seem to deter Ged from strop hunting in the south field - can' t think why 
Flying-wise, we had just the K7/13 two-seater and the K8 in operation, with plenty of  'trade' for Ged and me in the former, and a constant stream of takers for the latter. But unfortunately our trial lesson instructor, Steve, appeared to have been stood-up by the lady visitor who had been booked in to fly today.

Training-wise, we were pleased to have 'fixed price to solo' member David Horne back with us - working hard and flying enthusiastically - after an eight-week 'jolly' to China and various unpronounceable parts of the the former Soviet Union. Thanks to all, by the way, for resisting making frivolous remarks about his following in the footsteps of Borat.

Also campaigning in BVB was Chris Fagg, who proved to me that he had not forgotten everything after last soloing in June. So having been put through his paces, off he went on his own again.

Chris and Bob share a moment after Chris's re-solo.
Highlights of the day included Dave Rippon in the K8 narrowly beating Andrew Beaumont and Ged to win the 'Swampmaster' title for landing on the boggiest bit of the airfield; Andrew and Ged entertaining us with some side slipping exercises, and John Bolt winning the day's 'Ace of the Base' title for a flight of nine minutes in the K8. Nine minutes may not sound like much, but the important thing was that John not only found and managed to exploit some very weak lift, but in the process inspired several of his colleagues to try to better his performance.

Bob Pirie

Sunday 4th November 2012

Compassion was the name of the game today.  With the field having been drenched overnight,  and Saturday’s crew having done a good job of washing the glider’s down before putting them away, it seemed compassionate all round to leave the field - and gliders - to rest today. 

And when the showers came in astern of last night’s cold front they were vicious – so it was probably compassionate to the pilots as well not to fly. 



The rainbows say it all: There was lots of – rain
That’s not to say it was all feet up around the wood burner with gallons of coffee and tales of "derring do".Oh no: today Darren Wills sat his Bronze C exam and passed with flying colours, thus completing his Bronze overall, whilst Roger Appleboom also took the exam and also passed.  So Darren is yet another member firmly in need of their XCE whilst Roger is a step closer – sounds like Don’s cross country tutorial next Saturday should be well attended.

Roger Appleboom is pleased as punch on being told he’d passed his Bronze exam 
Meanwhile Sam Deeks was finding out how to get the simulator to spin (and recover) whilst Dave Bourchier went into thermal generation mode with the incinerator.

So whilst the field was resting (well, getting lashed by hailstones) there was quite a lot going on, actually.

Martin Cropper

Saturday 3rd November 2012

The forecast led us to believe that today would have a blue sky, a light westerly wind with showers arriving in the early evening. In fact the wind was light southerly, there was a lot of cloud and showers right from the start.

Before starting the flying, the Saturday group performed the monthly TLC on K7M G-DBVB ( vacuum, good clean and oil all round ). With K13 G-DDMX currently away having it’s rudder hinges renewed, the Bocian was taken to the launchpoint along with BVB and K8 G-DDWG and by after the showers had subsided flying commenced at 11:30.

Visitor Steve Wilden returned to fly with us today after his introduction to gliding in the simulator last Wednesday. While I was flying Steve in the BVB, supervising instructor Ged introduced Mike Jardine, Chris Kaminski and Matthew Wiles to the delights of the Bocian and after successful familiarisation flights with Ged, each of them flew it solo.

Matthew and Chris posing with the Bocian after their type conversions
( camera shy Mike was driving the winch by this time)
 Not satisfied with with his efforts so far, Ged turned his attention to Dave Wallis who has recently returned to gliding after a long absence. After a series of successful circuits and practice cable breaks, Ged got out of the back and Dave flew solo, completing 2 good circuits. Well done.

Dave Wallis being congratulated by Instructor Ged Nevisky after his solo. 
While all the flying fun was going on, Winchmaster Rick Wiles, assisted by Dave Bourchier and Colin Boyd spent their day in the hanger refurbishing the second drum and brakes on the Guslaunch winch. They are now talking about replacing the engine??

So what a day. In between the showers, which became increasingly heavy and wintery by the end of the day, we flew a visitor, completed type conversions for 3 pilots, sent a pilot solo for the first time in 10 years or so, continued the Guslaunch refurbishment and gave a glider it’s monthly service. Excellent.

Steve

Wednesday 31 October 2012

The weather was typical of recent Wednesdays – awful. Strong, blustery southerly wind. Low cloudbase with showers increasing in frequency and duration until it became continuous rain by late afternoon. So no flying then.

Undeterred, there was a sizeable cadre of club members assigning themselves tasks around the club.

A small group went searching the fields both sides of the airfield to recover lost strops. For their pains they were rained on when they were as far away from any shelter as they could go. ( I'm suppressing as wry smile at this point ). Only DGS pilots could turn strop hunting into a competitive sport. Treasurer Steve Raine returned very disappointed that he had failed to find any. A few moments later a victorious Ged arrived back bearing 3 recovered strops and a big smile. The strops were immediately confiscated by David Bourchier who then proceeded to repair and return them to flight standard.

The talk in the clubhouse was of cross country flying and several members, who still need to finish their cross country endorsements were planning the best way to do their field landing and navigation tests.

The simulator was kept busy. I gave a controls lesson to visitor Steve Wilden who was originally booked for a trial lesson today. After this I helped  Mike Gadd to complete a simulated cross country from Brentor to North Hill, a trip he is intending to make for real early next season.

A nice day - despite the weather.

Steve